


Oldest Friends

by whetherwoman



Category: War of the Buttons
Genre: Gen, Kidfic, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-23
Updated: 2009-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-05 02:46:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whetherwoman/pseuds/whetherwoman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fathers and sons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oldest Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kinetikatrue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinetikatrue/gifts).



The two boys were nose to nose, teeth bared and murder in their eyes. Each had their band of comrades gathered behind them, ready to leap into the fray or run for cover at a moments' notice with a sign from their leaders.

"This is the last straw," hissed one. "You'll pay for this, you will."

"Oh, you haven't seen the last of me," the other said, eyes narrowed.

"You just bet I haven't," growled the first. "You think you're Colm the mighty, well, I think you need to be taken down a peg."

"Oh, you just try, Ian Davies, you just try," Colm sneered.

"Watch me--" Ian began. He was interrupted by a piercing whistle. Both groups spun around to see where it came from.

"It's the master!" shrieked one of the small boys behind Ian, and the tension broke as the boys scattered, running pell-mell down the path towards the whistler.

"The master's back! Geronimo's back! It's Geronimo!" the boys yelled. The two bands mixed indiscriminately, boys who had been ready to tear each other apart a moment before now jostling each other cheerfully.

The tall man in the spotless black coat waved at the onrushing gang with no apparent fear, swinging the first little one to his shoulder. The rest swarmed around as they reached him, leaping and grabbing his coat tails. Amid the general tumult he pulled sweets and toys from his pockets, dispensing whistles and tops while somehow managing to respond to each individual shout.

"I learned my eight times while you were gone, sir!"

"I minded Mrs. Stevens just as you said!"

"We set up HQ in the rocks you told us about, Geronimo!"

"Are you coming to the big battle tomorrow?"

When the toys were all gone, he raised his voice above the ruckus. "All right now," he said, "it's getting late, and I'll see you all at the school bright and early tomorrow morning. Get on home now!"

With minimal grumbling, the children dispersed, leaving only Colm and two little ones. "We'll walk back with you, sir!" piped the girl. The boy nodded eagerly.

"All right then, Brendan, Maeve," laughed the schoolmaster. "I think I can find my own way home even if I have been gone a whole week, but your company will surely gladden the walk."

"You're right next door anyhow," said Brendan, still hopping from foot to foot with excitement, "so you have to follow us, like it or not!"

"All right now, get along with you!" The two young ones jumped ahead, running up the path through the trees, shouting just for the joy of it. Colm and the master progressed at a slightly more sedate pace.

When the children were far enough away, Colm said, "Sir?"

"Yes, lad?" he said, putting his arm over Colm's shoulder.

"Geronimo... can I ask a serious question?"

"Of course, lad," the master said, shaking the boy slightly. "But are you asking me as the master or as Geronimo, now?"

"As... as Geronimo," Colm said hesitantly. "It's a serious question."

The master turned his head and coughed a little, but when he looked back at Colm his face was grave enough for anyone. "Out with it, then."

"Ian said... he said today that Da wasn't my father."

The boy felt the hand on his shoulder clench as the master stumbled, but he regained his balance quickly and the expression on his face did not change.

"Well," he said slowly. "I grew up with your mum and dad, you know. I've known you since you were born, watched you grow from a wee thing to a child and to the young man you are now. I've seen Fergus with you, in every bit of your life--I was there when you took your first step holding on to his little finger. I saw him sing you to sleep, watched him teach you to ride horseback. He gave you your first pocketknife, showed you how to split wood, took you with him to the county fair to buy his cattle, and when you begged for that piglet you saw there he got it." Color rose in the man's face as his strides grew faster, keeping pace with his words.

"I've watched his eyes when you run off to play with the boys, when you do something nice for your mum or teach something to little Maeve, and I will tell you one thing, young Colm." The master stopped abruptly and roughly turned Colm towards him, grabbing both the boy's shoulders and shaking slightly for emphasis. "That man loves you, boy. He has been there every day of your life, and he would give his own life for you. That's what fatherhood is, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a damn fool."

"Right," Colm said, and cleared his throat. "Sir."

The master gripped Colm for one more second, then nodded sharply and turned away. "We'll want to hurry to get some dinner," he said, and cleared his throat as well. "I've been hungry for your mum's stew since the day I left."

They continued in silence for only a minute until Colm said softly, "But Geronimo, you've been there for all those things too. And you taught me to whittle with the knife my da gave me, and you showed me how to feed the piglet."

The master was silent for another moment, then coughed slightly. "Well," he said. "So many little boys don't have a father at all. It can't be that bad of a thing to have two." He glanced sidelong at Colm, as if not sure what he would see in the boy's face.

"Right," Colm said firmly, and grinned up at the master.

The master grinned back, big and clear and full of relief. "Come on, then!" he said, lengthening his stride so that Colm had to skip to keep up, both of them laughing all the way up the path to where the younger ones were already in front of the small house, clutching the skirts of Colm's mum in the doorway.

When she saw Colm and the master, she left off wiping at Brendon's sticky face and stood up with a huge smile. The master took a few more long steps and picked her up around the waist, swinging her around while she laughed and swatted at his head. He put her down with a smacking kiss on her cheek, and she sparkled with happiness as she said, "You've been gone too long, Jer."

"You know me, Marie," the master said, his mouth quirking up at the corners. "Taking any chance I can to get away from home and hearth, and your happy domestic little world here."

She just laughed again and pulled his head down to press her own kiss against his cheek. Then Colm's da came around the corner, and the master broke free to pull him into a back-thumping embrace with a shout of "Fergus, you devil!"

"Geronimo! When'd you sneak back into town?" Fergus held the master at arm's length for a moment, then gave him one more thump on the shoulder for good measure. "You'll stay and tell us all about your travels, then?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't impose on you like that, Fergus--I'll just take my things to my little house and settle in there to eat my lonely meal--"

"Oh, no, eat with us!" chorused Brendan and Maeve, falling all over themselves laughing at the twinkle in the master's eye, so at odds with his words.

"Absolutely not," Marie added, smiling warm and big. "You'll eat with us as usual, and maybe if you're good we'll let you go back to your house later." She linked her arm in his and pulled him into the house, Brendan pulling on his other arm and Maeve dancing behind.

Colm's da wrapped his arm around Colm and looked down at him. Colm thought he might be about to ask a question, but he just said, "My boy. You're almost as tall as Jerome there, you know that now? Soon you'll tower over both of us."

Colm grinned up at him. "How'll you like that, da?"

Fergus ruffled Colm's hair. "No matter how tall you'll get, you'll still be my boy."

Together they walked into the warm little house, filled with laughter and good smells, and with everything that means family.


End file.
